In what can be classified as a bit of a surprised, the Ryder Cup task force has tapped Davis Love III as the captain of the Ryder Cup team for the 2016 matches. Love has been given the opportunity to avenge the loss that the US suffered in 2012, as he was the losing captain to Europe's "Miracle At Medinah".
Many seemed to think that the job was going to go to either Fred Couples, who captained the United States to three straight Presidents Cup victories, or Paul Azinger, who successfully captained the Ryder Cup team to a victory in 2008 for their only victory this millennium. In fact, many golf writers were reporting that Couples was the favorite for the job, and that Couples was willing to take the captaincy if it was offered to him.
Personally, I like Love. He seems like a great guy and an incredibly under rated golfer who will likely not receive much Hall of Fame consideration even though he had all the talent in the world. I also do not believe that the loss in 2012 was his fault, and rather was the fault of the players, who didn't have the personality to close out their matches on Sunday, and a motivated European Team who was looking to make history in honor of Seve Ballesteros, who passed away the year prior. Love was a good captain who saw his moment slip away from him.
That being said, I do not believe this is the right call for Team USA. They formed this new task force to try and change things and turn around the fortunes of the Ryder Cup team, and instead of taking a proven winner in Couples, or taking a huge risk in someone like Phil Mickelson, they decided to make the ultra safe call, which is the same strategy that got them in this position in the first place. Wasn't the big criticism that they decided to go back to Tom Watson in the first place? Weren't they looking for something new and fresh to revitalize this team? Why form the task force at all if this was the move you were going to make?
I hope I am wrong in my criticisms, as I would love nothing more than to see Team USA finally win another Cup and Love to receive the redemption he deserves for the team's loss in 2012. At this moment, however, I am waiting to be impressed.
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